WhenToBird

American Robin · Turdus migratorius

When Do Robins Arrive in Iowa?

Adult male American Robin
Photo: northerly, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The American Robin is in Iowa all year. It turns up on about 74% of checklists at its peak (late June) and on 7.2% in its quietest week (the second week of January).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekJun 22-30late June
Quietest weekJan 8-14the second week of January

Best: late June. Here all year. Peak: on about 74% of Iowa checklists.

  1. Janrare
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decuncommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

Robins in Iowa, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
American Robinall year–Jun 22-30–74%
0%20%40%60%80%American RobinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • American Robin
Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Iowa that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

Where in Iowa

Best counties for American Robin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Clarke CountyBest late March · 16 checklists that week, 459 in all95%
  2. Cedar CountyBest the second week of June · 17 checklists that week, 765 in all94%
  3. Shelby CountyBest mid June · 14 checklists that week, 354 in all93%
  4. Sioux CountyBest early July · 20 checklists that week, 1,159 in all93%
  5. Grundy CountyBest the second week of June · 13 checklists that week, 647 in all92%
  6. Wapello CountyBest late April · 21 checklists that week, 654 in all92%

Common questions

When do robins arrive in Iowa?
The American Robin is in Iowa all year. It turns up on about 74% of checklists at its peak (late June) and on 7.2% in its quietest week (the second week of January).
When do robins leave Iowa?
The American Robin does not leave Iowa: it is reported all year, from 7.2% of checklists in the second week of January to 74% in late June.
When is the best time to see robins in Iowa?
The American Robin is reported most often in late June, on about 74% of Iowa checklists.